Football festival ready to roll

Year seven and eight students will be swapping their school uniforms for their school colours tomorrow, today where they will battle for top honours in the 2014 Rarotonga Senior Primary School Football Tournament.

Year seven and eight students will be swapping their school uniforms for their school colours tomorrow, today where they will battle for top honours in the 2014 Rarotonga Senior Primary School Football Tournament.

The annual football festival will take place at the CIFA Complex in Matavera from 2.30pm with the senior girls division followed by the senior boys’ category at 3.05pm.

The tournament has seen its fair share of competitive football in previous years since it first kicked off in 2009.

Those schools taking part in this year’s competition are Arorangi, Avarua, Avatea, Nikao, Nukutere, Te Uki Ou, Titikaveka and Papaaroa.

They will battle it out on the field in both the girls and boys division to see who will have bragging rights in this year’s tournament.

Both the boys and girls divisions will be split into two groups where they will play each school team to determine which school will go through to the play offs before heading to the finals to settle out the winner.

“We are looking forward to this year’s matches as there are students who are improving more and more each time we visit them at their schools,” says Tuka Tisam, CIFA technical director.

“This annual competition will give us (technical department) the opportunity to select players to participate in our development programs,” he says.

Avarua won the first senior primary school soccer competition in the boys and girls division when it first kicked off in 2009 while Nikao primary school confidently stole the title in 2010 in the senior boys division and Avarua senior girls making it a double for their school.

In 2012 Avatea senior boys claimed the silverware for the first time while Arorangi senior girls snatched the title honours for their efforts.

Last year Avatea senior boys again retained their title honours while it was Nukutere claiming the senior girls division.

The support of parents and school followers will definitely encourage and boost the school teams in their first match so head on down to the CIFA complex in Matavera to see the first game kick off at 2.30pm in the girls division followed by the boys at 3.05pm. - CIFA Media

Draw for today in the senior girls division at 2.30pm:

Field 1 Group B Avarua vs. Nikao; Field 2 Group B Te Uki Ou vs. Papaaroa; Field 3 Group A Avatea vs. Titikaveka; Field 4 Group A Arorangi vs. Nukutere.

Field 1 Group B Avarua vs. Nikao; Field 2 Group B Te Uki Ou vs. Papaaroa; Field 3 Group A Avatea vs. Titikaveka; Field 4 Group A Arorangi vs. Nukutere.